As you may have found in your search, there are lenders that will lend up to 80% of the appraised value on investment properties and don't require an appraisal.Let me know if you'd like me to point you in the right direction.I have not; I'm still working on acquiring my next house hack, but when I need it, I'll probably use a combo of hard money and margin loan.

Happy to talk through this in more detail and good luck with the out of state investing!

To avoid going through the same poor experience, keep reading.Even if someone gives you a referral here, do NOT make the mistake of assuming that the PMC will meet your expectations, just because they met the expectations of the referral source.In our experience, the #1 mistake owners make when selecting a Property Management Company (PMC) is ASSUMING instead of CONFIRMING.It's often a case of not doing enough research, as they don't know what they don't know!

I recommend lining someone up before you leave for a 1 year term.  

Quote from @Dennis McNeely: In a sandwich lease option, the investor exercises their option with the property owner to purchase the property when the tenant-buyer indicates they're ready to exercise their option and purchases the property.

Is the property & tenants mostly easy to manage or is it taking up a lot of your time?

I see the same (professional) Tenants coming to my Court every couple of years, with a NEW Landlord.

That said, weigh the cost of renovations against the potential increase in appraisal.

You're giving up some good tax benefits since you're in the tier of taking itemized deductions.

An article from The Mortgage Reports explains:“The amount you need to put down will depend on a variety of factors, including the loan type and your financial goals.